Poster holder



June 4, 1968 D. s. HO ELL 3,386,198

POSTER HOLDER Filed March 1, 1966 FIGZ M11 7 M1 "ill l \W INVENTOR FIG'3 BAND '5. HOWELL BY 6W9 v ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,386,193 METER HOLDER David S. Howell, Troy, Mich, assignor, by mesne assigrn ments, to Woodie Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 536,956 9 Claims. (Cl. 40-156) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A poster holder comprising a base and a plurality of clamping members about the base wherein each clamping member includes a pivoted holder spring biased to hold the poster against said base.

This invention relates to poster holders. Its objects include the provision of a poster holder having border frame members which are quickly and easily opened and closed and which, when in both their open and closed positions, are yieldingly held in their fully open and fully closed positions, as the case may be; also which is of an extremely simple yet rugged construction with a minimum of moving parts and which holds the poster tightly against the back panel of the poster holder; also which has springs for providing the yielding force and mounted on sprin supports which also limit the sidewise motion of the poster within the border opening by serving as stops.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a poster holder according to one form of the invention, in its closed position with central portions omitted to conserve space and with one of the border members broken away to show the spring construction beneath it;

FIGURE 2 is a right-hand side elevation of the poster holder shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 1, with the open position of the poster border member shown in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 4 is a section similar to FIGURE 3, through a modification of the invention embodying the same principle.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a poster holder, generally designated 19, according to one form of the invention having an open-centered border frame 11 including four elongated border members 12 preferably formed of extruded aluminum and arranged in a rectangular pattern upon a back panel or poster mounting panel 14 which may be conveniently made of hard fiberboard, metal, wood or plastic. The border members 12 are yieldingly held in either their closed or open positions by spring devices, generally designated 16, in the manner described below. The poster 18 is held against the back panel 14 by the border members 12.

Each border member 12 is in the form of a channel member of irregular cross-section (FIGURE 3), with an upper wall structure 19, including an outer side wall 20 which is substantially vertical, and a top wall 21. A lever flange 22 extends inwardly from the side wall 20 approximately perpendicular to the side wall 21) and terminates in an upstanding rounded pivot rib 24. The rib 24 has a rounded approximately cylindrical pivot surface 26 ex- Patented June 4, 1968 tending therealong and offset upwardly above a downwardly-extending rounded rolling fulcrum rib 28 having an approximately cylindrical rolling fulcrum surface 30 extending longitudinally therealong. The bottom flange 22 has an upwardly and inwardly-inclined bottom surface 2 which slopes upward and inward from the rolling fulcrum surface 39 to the pivot surface 26 so as to raise the inner edge of the bottom flange above the panel 14. At its upper edge, the vertical wall 20 of each border member 12 has a rounded junction bead 34 with the top wall 19, which is downwardly and inwardly inclined and terminates in a rounded inner edge head 38. Spaced outward from the bead 38 is the upper edge 39 of an inner inclined wall 46 which extends downward and inward to an inner clamping edge 42 and forms a groove 44 with the overhanging end portion 45 of the top wall 21. The border member 12 is conveniently extruded from aluminum and cut to the proper length. The ends 46 are cut off at an angle of 45 to the outer wall 30 so as to fit the adjacent ends 46 of the adjacent border members 12.

The spring devices 16 are mounted two to a border member 12 on the peripheral portions of the back panel 14 so as to be concealed beneath the inclined top walls 21 of the upper wall structure thereof in locations near the oblique ends 46 of the border members 12. Each spring device 16 consists of a washer or spacer 50 preferably of metal, the lower surface of which engages the upper surface 43 of the back panel 14 (FIGURE 3). Mounted on the upper surface of the Washer 50 is the base portion 52 of a leaf spring or resilient finger 54 which tapers from the base 52 outward to a rounded upstanding contact end 56. The latter has a concave cylindrical pivot surface 58 of curvature substantially coaxial with the convex cylindrical pivot surface 26 of the border member 12 so as to mate therewith. The leaf spring 54 is so mounted that it presses downward upon the pivot surface 26 of the contact rib 24 and is held firmly against the washer or spacer 50 by a tubular rivet 60 passing through holes 62, 64 and 66 in the back panel 14, Washer 50 and base 52 respectively of the leaf spring 54.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the border members 12 have been raised from their solid line positions to their dotted line open and raised positions, such as is shown for one border member 12 in FIGURE 3. The opening of each border member 12 is easily accomplished by inserting the finger tips into the groove 44 and pulling upward and outward upon the rib 38. When this occurs, the border member 12 pivots around the convex pivot surface 26 of the upstanding rib 24 while the lever flange 32 swings upward and outward as the rounded fulcrum surface 3% of the downwardlyextending rounded rib 28 rolls or slides along the upper surface 58 oftthe back panel 14. As this occurs, the fulcrum surface 30 passes beneath the pivot surface 26, which pushes the tip 56 of the leaf spring 54 upward into dotted line position against the thrust of the leaf spring 54, so that the thrust of the spring 54 through its tip 56 is finally exerted in a vertical line which extends outward beyond the bottom flange surface 32. In so doing, the pivot rib 26 of the lever flange 22 passes over the dead center provided by the fulcrum rib 28 and thus the leaf spring 54 exerts a downward thrust upon the lever flange 22 which holds the border member 12 in its open position. The poster 18 may then be dropped into the central space of 3 the back panel 14 with the washers or spacers 50 serving as limiting stops (FIGURE 3). The border members 12 are closed upon the poster 18 by inward pressure exerted upon the top walls 21 while in the dotted line positions, one of which is shown in FIGURE 3.

As this occurs, the lever flange 22 swings from a vertical position toward a horizontal position while the fulcrum surface 39 rolls inward along the top surface 48 of the back panel 14, during which the pivot surface 26 passes over dead center and receives the full downward thrust of the leaf springs 54. This gives a snap action which forces the edge 42 of each border member 12 into firm engagement with the poster 18 and holds it immovably in position. The parts have now assumed the solid line positions shown in FIGURE 3. Due to the fact that the bottom surface 32 of the upwardly-inclined lever flange 22 is spaced away from the top surface 18 of the panel 14, the constant pressure of the leaf springs 54 thereon gives a lever action which constantly urges the inner edge 42 against the poster 18, preventing slippage.

FIGURE 4 shows how the ornamental appearance of the poster holder of FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive may be altered while retaining the advantages and mode of operation thereof, similar parts being designated with the same reference numerals increased by one hundred. Thus, in FIGURE 4, the upper Wall structure 119 of the border member 112 is of curved configuration with a rib 145 added for convenience of grasp by the finger tips. The lever flange 122, fulcrum rib 128 with rolling fulcrum surface 130, pivot rib 124 and rounded pivot surface 126 remain the same, and the spring devices 116 and panel 114 are substantially unchanged. The mode of operation likewise remains the same as described above in connection with FIGURES l to 3 inclusive. It will thus be evident that the configuration of the upper wall structure 19 or 119 may be varied widely without departing from the principles and characteristics of the invention. Furthermore, it will be evident that types of springs other than the leaf springs 54 or 154, such as helical compression springs, may be employed to exert the downward pressure upon the lever flange 22 or 122.

What I claim is:

1. A poster holder comprising support means adapted to have a poster mounted thereborder members on said support means for releasably holding said poster,

each of said border members being movable between an open poster receiving position and a closed poster holding position; and spring means holding said border members pressed against said support means and pivotally interfitting therewith to hold the same for pivotal movement on said support means,

each of said border members including top and outer side wall portions, said side wall portion having a fulcrum bearing edge arranged to slide laterally relative to said support means when said border member is opened or closed, and

a lever flange extending inwardly from said fulcrum bearing edge terminating in a pivot edge interfittingly engaging and coacting with said spring means,

said lever flange being spaced from said support means when said border member is closed, and said pivot surface being closer to said top wall than said fulcrum bearing edge,

whereby to provide an over center condition for said spring means in both the open and closed positions of said border member and to make the full force of said spring means available to hold said border member either open or closed.

2. A poster holder, according to claim 1, wherein said fulcrum bearing edge is rounded and has a rolling or sliding engagement with said supporting means during swinging of said border member between its open and closed positions.

3. A poster holder, according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises leaf springs secured to said panel with their outer end portions pivotally engaging the pivot edges of said border members.

4. A poster holder, according to claim 3, wherein the inner end portions of said leaf springs are secured to said support means.

5. A poster holder, according to claim 3, wherein spacing elements are disposed between the inner end portions of said leaf springs and said support means.

6. A poster holder according to claim 3 wherein said spacing elements perform the double function of positioning said leaf springs generally parallel to said panel so that the spring force is directed toward and generally at right angles to the plane of the panel and of providing stops for positioning and centering a poster in said poster frame.

7. A poster holder comprising a poster mounting panel;

an open-centered border frame including a plurality of elongated border members disposed in end-to-end relationship adjacent said panel around the open center of said frame and each being movable between an open poster receiving position and a closed poster clamping position; and

resilient means coacting with said border members and exerting a force thereon constantly in the direction of said panel to hold the same selectively in one or the other of said positions,

each of said border members having an upper wall structure including interconnected top and outer side wall portions,

21 fulcrum bearing edge on said side Wall portion adapted to slide or roll on said panel when said border member moves between the open and closed positions, and

a lever flange extending inwardly from said fulcrum bearing edge and terminating in a pivot edge engaging and coacting with said resilient means, said lever flange being spaced from said panel when said border member is closed, and

said pivot surface being closer to said top wall than said fulcrum bearing edge,

whereby to provide an over center condition for said resilient means in both the open and closed positions of said border member and to make the full force of said resilient means available to hold said border member either open or closed.

8. A poster holder comprising support means on which a display poster is adapted to be placed,

border members on the margins of said support means,

spring elements on said support means below said border members,

means forming interfitting pivot connections between said border members and said spring elements, said border members being retained on said support means solely by said spring elements and being pivotable on said connections either to open posterreceiving positions or to closed poster-clamping and holding positions, and

means forming over-center mountings for said pivot connections coacting with said spring elements to hold said border elements positively in both said open and said closed positions.

5 9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 including fulcrum bearing edge portions on said border members disposed to engage and slide along said support means during pivotal movement of said border members and mutually coactive with said pivot connections to maintain said border members positioned and oriented on said support means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,461,400 2/1949 Thomas 40156 6 2,882,633 4/1959 Howell 40-156 3,310,901 3/1967 Sarkisian 40-156 FOREIGN PATENTS 5 279,493 3/1952 Switzerland.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

10 W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

